Personal Hacks

How I Coped Living Alone For 3 Weeks

Before i begin this rambling I need to let you know that i am well aware that 3 weeks isn’t a long time, some people go for months living without their partner and i do know that. The reason i made this post was because i thought i hated being alone and it was going to be quite a personal 3 weeks of getting used to being alone and so i just wanted to share my thoughts on this little personal triumph…

The thing with me is that my whole life i thought i hated being alone. It’s not that i make people be with me 24/7 i just mean, i like company and i like sharing things with people.

I have been with my boyfriend since i was 16. I have known him since i was 14 but when i was 16 is when we made it ‘facebook official’. I am almost 21 so, it’s a pretty long time. We get along like a house on fire (obviously) and as unhealthy as it sounds we are together 24/7 due to our jobs and life in general.

Of course we have been apart before. We haven’t always lived together and there was a period of time when we were in completely different countries for almost a month but, i was 17 and living with my Grandpa and he was living at home. It was different.

Anyway!

He turned 21 at the beginning of this year and him and his Dad had planned forever to go away together,they decided on the US but last minute changed there minds and headed to China. Yes, as far away from me as possible.

I was incredibly jealous and i did pray that it was all a little joke and that i was going to but, it wasn’t and i didn’t.

This is where you are going think i am soppy and needy but i promise you i am not…

I was so worried about spending almost 3 weeks completely alone. I live quite far from my mum and dad and they have work commitments, i had to work and i still don’t really know anyone where i live.

Luckily i have an amazing mum and she did everything she could to go shopping with me, come round and chat and even go to the cinema with me. I also spent my Saturdays with my mum and dad where we went for dinner and without them i think i would of gone a little crazy and this blog post about me coping alone could of been a little different…

When you read this he will be back (hopefully!) and at the end of this post i will explain in more details my feelings and what’s happened over the past few weeks.

Tips On Coping When Alone:

1- I watched every TV show i know he hates or wouldn’t enjoy. I binge watched Orange is the new black, Stranger things, The Real housewives and even the Olympics. The first week it was quite nice to finish work, lock up, close the blinds and just watch what i wanted.

2. Have ‘naughty food’. We as a couple don’t eat that much bad food and so when he was away i had a few days of naughty eating where it was exciting and made me look forward to it. (I know how sad that sounds, don’t worry!).

3. Don’t isolate yourself. That is what i was most scared of but, luckily as i said above i have such a lovely mum and dad who went out of their way to meet me.

4. Don’t feel sorry for yourself. I started to feel sorry for myself and the end of week 2. I felt like i was stuck here and he was out there enjoying every second and whilst i did spend an hour or so in a bad mood i soon snapped out of it and started planning future travel ideas.

5. Go outside. This is quite new to me but i started walking for 30 minutes everyday a few weeks before he left and made sure to keep it up when he was away. This just got me out of the house during the day and it also makes you feel better if you are having a particularly down day.

6. I did loads of cleaning when he wasn’t here. I even cleaned the oven! It wasn’t like the apartment needed it but, it just makes you feel better when you wake up to a sparkling house.

7. Finally, the biggest thing for me was wondering what he was doing in China whilst i was working. It really grated on me some days and this is probably the worst thing i did. You need to just forget about them. I know that sounds so harsh but if you’re anything like me, wondering what they are doing just leads to you getting annoyed that you’re not there.

I hope some of these tips helped you if your partner has gone away or is going away. They really helped me!

What Were The 3 Weeks like?

The first few days were good fun. I watched what i wanted, did what i wanted and i even got quite excited to have my evenings all planned out.

There were a few minutes during the days when i would feel sad or a bit down but the thought of snacks and my favorite shows snapped me straight out of that.

The second week was honesty the worst. I thought it would be easier because he would be coming back soon but, the days seemed to drag and i found myself getting annoyed at him being away and me stuck here working. I honestly don’t feel like that now and i am so glad he has had the best time ever but, when you’re on your own and all your TV shows are up, the jealousy of him enjoying himself was running through my head and i am embarrassed to admit that now!

I am glad it happened. It has pushed me to book our next travel adventure and it has made me realize how much i value his company (aw soppy). It also really made me realize that i don’t actually HATE being alone. I used to spend so much time telling everyone how much i hated it but, honestly i didn’t mind my own company. I prefer being with people and i wouldn’t volunteer to be left alone again for 3 weeks too soon but, i did it and i am pretty proud of that.

I also had a massive incident with a ginormous spider and managed to get it outside, i really don’t hate my own company and i am so proud to say that.

I really hope you enjoyed reading this post, if you did please let meknow in the comments below and let me know any of your tips for people who are staying alone for a while!